There’s been a fair amount of change for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. Tom Brady retiring is the headliner, but the team Bucs fans have watched compete for a Super Bowl over the last three seasons is going to look a lot different this year.
Despite the turnover, the goal of winning a Super Bowl remains. Any talk of tanking has been met by the Bucs coaching staff with a reiteration that the team is Herman Edwarding this year — playing to win the game. Todd Bowles and Jason Licht believe they have a shot to compete and are thinking more about ways to make the playoffs than what to do with a top draft pick.
If the Bucs are going to be competitive this year, they’ll need to rely on some new faces to carry part of the load.
Baker Mayfield is a bit too obvious, so we're not including him. Also because his impact is implied and the Bucs will likely sink or swim based on how he performs this season. There are other guys, though, who have a similar opportunity to stand out and make an impact this year while helping the Bucs attempt to be competitive.
Ryan Neal, S
Neal wasn’t a splashy signing when he joined the Buccaneers, but they hype for him is slowly building. Neal is quietly the most intriguing signing of the offseason in Tampa Bay as he seems primed for a breakout season, building off his ascension with the Seahawks last year.
He might not be a household name for Bucs fans as we approach training camp, but it feels like a matter of when not if he’s going to become one this season. Neal lit up the Chargers offense when the Seahawks traveled to Los Angeles last season and beat the doors of the Carolina Panthers in Week 14.
According to PFF he had a defensive grade of 82 last season, which was a massive jump from posting grades in the 50s during his first two seasons with the Seahawks.
While he struggled against the Saints (he didn’t play against the Falcons), he showed an ability to figure a division rival out. In three meetings with the San Francisco 49ers, Neal had a rather forgettable game in Week 2 but had one of his best games of the season later in the year when the Seahawks played them again in Week 15.
That’s worth pointing out as evidence that his bad game against the Saints shouldn’t be indicative of how he’ll play against them. If he could find a way to figure out the 49ers, that suggests he’ll be able to do the same against the Saints.
Playing next to Antoine Winfield Jr should do wonders for Neal as well. They have the chance to lowkey be one of the best safety duos in the league next year, and form one of the Bucs best position groups when all is said and done.